Adaptive Management: Racing Against Time in the Lake Tahoe Basin

Tahoe's complex watershed picture. Dr. John Tracy is leading DRI's combined Tahoe research effort and conducting his own studies into new approaches to watershed research and management. Behind Tracy is a graphic depicting the more than 60 distinct watershed that compose the overall Lake Tahoe watershed. (Graphic courtesy of Tahoe Regional Planning Agency)

The health of the Lake Tahoe watershed can be measured in many ways, from the Lake's famed clarity, to measures of air quality, indices of biodiversity, and the recreational value derived by residents and visitors. Within the last decade, there has been a growing consensus that no matter what measure is used, everything indicates that immediate action must be taken to reverse the decline of the condition of Lake Tahoe. Similarly, all agree that restoration within the Lake Tahoe watershed must be undertaken as a comprehensive effort that addresses a broad range of ecological, hydrological, and socioeconomic phenomena.

A "road map," if you will, for undertaking this effort has been created through a collaboration among Lake Tahoe agencies resulting in the Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP). The EIP is a comprehensive restoration program to be implemented in the next decade at a cost of more than $900 million.

For the EIP to be effectively implemented, two key points must be understood and accepted. First, the impact that restoration efforts will have on the broader ecosystem within the watershed is uncertain. That is, we need to admit there is a tremendous amount of learning that will necessarily coincide with the implementation of the EIP. Second, the EIP must not be looked upon as a series of fixed steps; rather it is a living plan designed to be modified as we learn more about Tahoe's broader ecosystem. In other words, we have much to learn from both our successes and the road blocks to success that we encounter along the way.

Given those two premises, one might ask, "If we're not certain of what we're doing and still have much to learn, shouldn't we wait to take action until we develop a more complete understanding of the Tahoe ecosystem?" While waiting for knowledge may have some appeal, the reality of the Lake Tahoe situation is we do not have time to wait. In many instances, the only way to develop a greater understanding of the Lake Tahoe watershed is to take action and monitor the consequences. Ultimately, we will improve the optimal well-being of the Lake Tahoe watershed through a process of learning by doing.

The term recently coined for this process is "adaptive management." In its simplest form, adaptive management is an approach that can be described as a four-step loop. First, a design or plan is developed based on the best available information. Second, the design or plan is implemented. Third, the impacts are evaluated, and, fourth, analyses of the impacts are integrated into succeeding design and planning activities.

The adaptive management process results in a number of positive outcomes. For example, new and innovative approaches to watershed restoration can be explored in a systematic manner, and quantitative measures of the success of diverse restoration activities can be developed and compared. Overall, the health of the Lake Tahoe watershed will gradually improve as restoration activities proceed, resulting, in the long term, in a more cost-effective restoration effort.

Many agencies within the Lake Tahoe watershed recognize the value of an adaptive management restoration program and are poised to develop and implement their own adaptive management processes. Efforts are now focused on developing a multi-agency framework that will provide each agency with an outline of its role in the comprehensive plan.

DRI believes that the scientific community must work together with agency leadership to develop a robust and effective adaptive management process. Within DRI's new Center for Watersheds and Environmental Sustainability, the Institute's researchers have begun work on a variety of projects (see "Tahoe Research Challenges Tailor-Made for DRI's Interdisciplinary Research Approach" p.3) to provide the science needed to support the adaptive management process. The Institute's interdisciplinary nature and its long-standing association with researchers from other institutions position DRI well to work with numerous agencies to guide future restoration activities within the Lake Tahoe watershed. We will look forward to relating our progress in the coming months and years!

- Dr. John Tracy, Executive Director, DRI Center for Watersheds and Environmental Sustainability